LILIANA The first time I saw the lady was a few hours ago when Genovese first brought me in. The blank stare stare she gave which unnerved me. Little did I know how much she hated her Don. As we follow down the hallway and down the stairs, my pulse drums so loud in my ears that I fear the lady behind me can hear it. What if the guards notice something off about our departure and decide to do something about it? What if someone stepped into the bedroom with Damian still in there? What if someone bumps into us? At that thought, I can't help but throw one last glance over my shoulder, hoping he's right on our heels and when I do, I'm disappointed at what I see. Nothing. “Don't be anxious. This is just his getaway house, else your Pakhan wouldn't even stand a chance. He's smart enough to know that Genovese always brings his recent conquests this place where there are less security.” “How does that even make any sense?” She smirks at that. “He plays this twisted game with us where
DAMIANI move to my stash of drinks, pulling out a blue bottle of vodka. After staring at it for a moment, I set it down and grab a bottle of water instead. The glass empties quickly and I pour another, then leave it on the table. Unable to resist the need for nicotine, I reach into my locker for cigarette and a lighter. Lighting it up, I sit on the sofa, staring at Liliana as the orange glow adds more light to the dim room. “Why did you come back?” Liliana ask, stepping closer than I need her to. “You could have left me there.”I ignore her, exhaling a plume of smoke as her words ring in my head. Left you there? Alice would have my head everyday until there's nothing left. “Damian!” She snaps.I raise my eyes to meet hers with a look of disinterest. The red end of the cigarette burns brighter when I take a long drag.The next thing, she marches right over to snatch it from my lips and stub it out in the glass of water. “You're going to die one way or another with the reckless dec
RACHELIt's been a week since I prepared Liliana for the casino opening. A week since I took leave from work, claiming it was for my health. In that time, I've seen Melanie more than I care to count. Not that I'm proud of spending so much time with her. But I have to. If I don't trail after her like some obedient dog, she'll expose my pregnancy and ruin everything. “What's with that look? You already had your way with Damian and got pregnant for him. So stop moping around,” she'd hissed once as her eyes narrowed like a snake's. I hadn't of course. Hell, I haven't even thought about the Pakhan that way. My life would be ruined if he caught wind of that. Not that it matters to Melanie. She doesn't believe a word I say. Her theory remains that I have been sleeping with him.And despite my father's pathetic attempts to shove me into Damian's path, trying to play matchmaker for the Pakhan himself, I couldn't do it. I won't do it.But now Melanie's amping the pressure. “Get rid of it,”
LILIANAI wake up with a lightness in my chest I haven't felt in weeks. There's no sign of lingering dread, no shadow of gloom, none of Genovese hanging over my day like a storm cloud. It's just…peace. Blissful peace, and for once, everything is quiet. Even Damian seems to be going through some kind of thawing out recently. For instance, he's distant but not cold. The kind of warmth that creeps in without permission, unexpected and fragile. Unbidden, I find myself clinging to whatever this is.Maybe from there, I can ask him to let me go back home to Theodore. Heaven knows if he's alright. I lean back and raise my eyes to meet Damian's. He's sitting opposite me in the courtyard now. Sunlight drips over his sharp features, making the dark ink of his rose tattoo stand out stark against his skin. He is waiting for me to start, arms resting casually on his thighs. Oh fuck me, who am I kidding? There's never been anything casual about this predator whose heated gaze is locked on me as
LILIANAI drop the brush in a small bowl of water with a sound of triumph. Another completed project. “So beautiful,” I coo. The air shifts and suddenly, every inch of me is is hyperaware of him. The heat radiating off his skin. The faint scent of cedar and smoke mixing together like an alluring elixir with his masculine scent. His voice drops low and dangerous. “Is that what you see when you look at me? Beauty?”My heart begins a wild pounding rhythm I can't control. “I see a lot of things,” I whisper, almost unable to get the words out.Wait, hold on! Why is my tongue so loose this morning?He's close now. So close I can feel his breath against my cheek. His fingers reach for my chin and ever so softly, he turns my face towards him. “Tell me.”“You—” He doesn't give me a chance to speak before the rest of my words are swallowed up by his lips descending on mine. As his lips crash into mine, it feels as though the air evaporates from my lungs and in that mind-numbing moment, the w
LILIANA“Fuck, yes. That's it,” he growls. “Show me how bad you want it.” And that's exactly what I do. My tongue traces the line under his cock, trailing it down to the base and back up again. By the time I repeat this a couple of time, he's panting so loud and my eyes blur with pain from my burning scalp. The ache in my jaw increases as I widen my mouth to take him in deeper. The only thing that rings in my head is to give him pleasure. His every pant and hoarse groans drench my panties in my wetness. Everything that should feel so wrong, feels so goddamn good.The way he whispers my name like a prayer, his fists tightening in my hair, the way he raises his hips to pump into my mouth—I should feel used, degraded. Instead, a thrill of excitement courses through me and my pussy is pulsing. Fast. I clamp my thighs tightly, pressing it against the pulsing in hopes to quench some of the fire down there but it doesn't give me the satisfaction. Not like his hands will. Or his cock. S
DAMIANAm I the asshole for trying to protect Liliana from the wrath of Melanie? No, I'm not. Am I the asshole for seeking pleasure the way I did? Definitely not. We're adults who can handle matters perfectly well. It was mutual anyway.Why do I feel this nagging guilt as I let Melanie lead me back in the house? No, I shouldn't be feeling that. We don't even have an exclusive relationship. And now, I'm letting myself be pulled in by sentiments. Again. If my brain isn't lagging when I'm around Liliana, it's shutting off completely. It's like my body now obeys a different command that's not issued by me. “Where have you been, little brother?” A voice booms from behind me.I spin around to find Zoran walking down hallway towards us and by his side is Selena. Relief unfurls within at the sight of them and giving him a hug is a perfect excuse to extricate myself from Melanie's death grip. Apart from that reason, I'm genuinely pleased to see them.“It's been ages.” Selena says, landing a
DAMIANWhen I go to the kitchen, it's like a big festival is about to take place because of all the food arranged on the table. I'd been so occupied with other thoughts that I forget what the occasion really is. The kitchen staff wheel several platters toward the living room, bowing when they see me. As I get close to the kitchen, there's laughter and some playful snickers but one voice grabs all of my attention. Like a charm, I'm enraptured by the soft chimes of her laughter as it rings louder than all the others. I double my steps, eager to capture her smiling mouth with my eyes. I cross the threshold and my gaze immediately rivets to her by the kitchen Island next to Selena and Alice. There's a lot of chopping, boiling and sizzling sounds but the gentle sound of her voice seizes the oxygen in my chest.“You want something?” Zoran dares to interrupt and she looks at him. Following his eyes, she turns her head in my direction but I'm quick to find something else of interest. Well
LAJLA/STELLEZAThe muffled sound of gunshot still rings aloud in my brain, hours after I’d bathed and settled on my bed. Sleep refused to take over and now I’m left to stare at the ceiling and wonder what next.A gentle knock has me sitting up. Red comes in with two mugs of something steamy. Perfect for the cold weather. I grab one, then immediately go to work distracting myself and trying not to look in her direction. If I don’t, then maybe she won’t recall the calamity that happened at the club.Again, this is Red we’re talking about. Nothing goes past her nose without deep scrutiny. Better than I am who would rather pretend not to see it. I don’t care about a lot of things.“Let’s talk about what happened earlier tonight.”“Hmm hmm, this tastes better than all the others you have made, don’t you think?” That’s my pathetic attempt at diverting the topic, of course this will make her prod for words.She gives me a serious look that strips away every trace of amusement from my face.
LAJLA/STELLEZA“Table four in the aisle next to Bri.”“Got it.” I pick the tray, trying to keep the drinks from spilling as well as maintaining my balance on the killer heels on my feet. The place is teeming with hyped, drunk men enjoying the show that the dancers give them.Although there’s a no-touching policy enforced here, some of these men have no idea what it means to keep their hands to themselves at all times.I smile at the customers around the table and they return it as I serve their drinks. They’re still nice and friendly until the booze kicks in. On my way back, I find myself looking at Red as she glides around the pole in that lingerie set I got her. She’s magnificent when she dances and that’s probably why she’s at the centre where most men are spraying her so much cash with reckless abandon.They all love her.She’s Fin’s golden ticket and I’m proud of her. I walk into a hard wall the moment I turn. The apology falls out of my lips before I can stop it. The stranger
LAJLA/STELLEZA“Who is that?” Red asks, with a squint at the woman.Ignoring the dread which has now pooled down at the bottom of my spine, I straighten my posture and tug on her hands. “No one. Come on.”Red complies thankfully. But she still has that thinking look on her face. One where her lips curled into her mouth in thought.“You can’t ignore me forever, Lajla. Me and you have to talk and we have to do it now.” The woman’s stern voice commands again, rattling me in my steps. “Or she gets it.”On another thought, I change my mind about ignoring her. “Um, Red? I’ll need you to be on the lookout for the uber. I’ll be with you in five minutes tops.” I’m already on the move before she can voice her protest.The woman’s lips are curled into a sneer when she sees me approaching. “I knew you’d be a fool to not answer your mother’s call.”“My mother’s dead.” I reiterate, cold and calmly. “I don’t have all night, Arbana. What do you want?”“It’s been what, eight months? Six? You left with
UNKNOWN POVIt’s been one hell of a week running around, bussing all these tables and getting these drunk men to keep their wandering fingers to themselves. How can they even when the only things Phineas lets us wear is some shiny, barely-there silver slip that clings like a second skin. The hem barely brushes the tops of my thighs, and the neckline dips low enough to tease but not reveal it all.Just enough to keep the tips flowing. Thin spaghetti straps dig into my shoulders, sometimes falling off and keeps me wondering when my shift comes to an end. The stupid uniform keeps flashing skin from the right side of me where there’s a high slit.“This is bait, Fin,” I complained one day. “The shoes are killing me. Can we switch to maybe sneakers or something?”“It’s what keeps this place running, honey.” He patted my hand and batted artificial eyelashes at me. “You’re doing just great in them. A few minutes more and I’ll let you off.”So, I suck it up and take it like a good girl. Not
LILIANAI can’t bring myself to look at Theodore as he sits opposite me with legs apart, elbows on knees and head bowed. Is that supposed to be the posture of remorse? What the hell did I walk into?He sighs and raises his head. “Lily, what happened? How did you escape that monster?”I say nothing. Just sit there and stare, wondering if I’m in my right senses if I decide to trust him once more. However, I’d be a fool. Time should have taught me better.“You knew my husband sold me off to the Russian mafia, didn’t you? You were aware of it all. You listened to me get kidnapped by the men Kyle used to mingle with and you did nothing.”His features scrunch up in anger. He shakes his head. “Sold you off? Kyle sold you off?”Irritation flares hot. “Don’t try to make me look foolish, Theo. If it worked in the past, doesn’t mean it can happen again. Tell me the things I need to know. Did you know Kyle was involved in dirty dealings with these men?”He opens his mouth to say something, then s
LILIANA“Don’t feel bad, Liliana. Certain things happen and we have no control over them.” Those are my sister’s words that I try to console myself with. It didn’t matter what situation we were in, she knew the right things to say.But as I sit in this car and gaze at the house I have abandoned for months, I feel like I have lost everything all over again. What words would she have for me if she were still around?Eric gives me a look from the mirror. “I’m sorry if you had to be caught up in the middle of the heat like this. But if there’s anyone to blame, it should be Kyle.”“I don’t think I need that information anymore. Kyle is dead and I’m back home.” Even if it doesn’t feel like one. “You don’t need to apologize. We are all tethered to something one way or the other and owe dues.”He shrugs. “I guess you can put it like that.”Squaring my shoulders, I open the car door and step out. Before I can take more steps, Eric halts me. “I’m not in the best position to say this but you sho
LILIANAI’m looking into the face of the man who was my bodyguard appointed by Theo to watch me after my husband died and can’t seem to fathom what he’s doing in the home of my captor.Does Damian know he’s in here? The answer comes to me almost immediately; yes, he does. Yet, the truth in that doesn’t stop me from asking my own questions. “W-what are you doing here?” I stammer out.He’s Eric alright, but at the same time, he’s not. His face lacks the warmth I trusted. That character has fallen out of place and here is the man he has always been.Wait, who is he? “I need to ask you come questions and I’ll need you to be completely honest with me.” He sounds detached.Says the lapdog masquerading as a double agent to feed information to his master. Can’t a woman trust anyone these days?“You both know each other?” Rachel looks between me and the burly man still patiently waiting for my attention. When nobody gives her a response, she excuses us and shuts the door.“Liliana—”“Don’t t
LILIANAThe journal feels heavy as it sits in my palms. Not because it is thick or leather-bound or anything grand. It’s just heavy…filled with my sister’s wordings–Well, I don’t know that for sure until I open it and that’s what I’m scared of. I stare at it intently and it’s almost like I can hear it whispering at me to open it and face what I’ve been running away since I returned to this cursed house.Rachel watches me from the corner of her eye, not saying a word until I sigh. “You should come with me. I don’t think you want to be in here as much as I do.” Her eyes are filled with untold tales. “Let’s go to your room. You don’t want to be seen like tis in the hallway.”I nod, then rise to follow her stiffly, following her down the corridor like a ghost. My limbs are moving, but my mind’s reeling. Even my heart isn’t beating right. Once we’re inside my quarters, I drop the journal on the bed and start grabbing my things. “Liliana.” Rachel approaches me gently. “What did he tell
DAMIAN Her eyes widen in caution as I approach her. Like she’s scared of me, or maybe scared I’d hurt her even when I’m certain she knows I can’t. She doesn’t really know the power she holds over me, does she? I should say I am disappointed but how can I when I can’t even tell her how I really feel about her? That’s just hypocrisy. Behind her is Stelleza’s wardrobe full of her things which I stowed away in her memory. “I couldn’t throw her things out, neither could I burn them.” I remember the exact angle where I kept the journal hidden. Since this is her blood sister we’re talking about, then perhaps she has a right to know what it entails and the truth about how she died. Reaching further into the back, my fingertips graze a hard leather. Bringing it out, I flip the leather-bound journal and hand it to her. She gazes down at the book, not taking it yet. “What is this?” “She wrote this,” I murmur, recalling the dark words that birthed my rage. “She wrote every word on every